Bar Goa Review

Author and Photographer: Kallie Hoffman

Bar Goa, an Indian gastropub and cocktail bar, and a sister restaurant to the Michelin-rated progressive Indian restaurant Rooh, is one of the hottest new spots in Chicago. I needed to make a reservation weeks in advance, and I did still have to eat at 8:30 PM, but it was exciting when the day finally arrived for me to sample Bar Goa. Located in River North, the ambiance was already unmatched from the minute I stepped out of the car, as there are multiple bars and clubs up and down the street, each with music blasting at full volume and lines out the door.

Bar Goa immediately transports Chicagoans to India’s sunny southwest coast, a region known for electronic music, beautiful beaches, colorful drinks, and amazing food. The centerpiece of the restaurant is its amazing tiki bar, with hundreds of different bottles on display and low-hanging tree lights that set the mood and evoke a jungle. The restaurant only has a few small tables, so my friends and I were taken to a set of high chairs nestled in the back left corner of the room, away from the craziness of the nightlife and left to enjoy the vast array of delicious menu items.

The menu at Bar Goa is built around a collection of small plates and meant to be shared, so my friends and I decided to have fun and try a little bit of everything, or as much as our stomachs could handle.

Starters

Immediately, we were drawn to the butter chicken croquettes, as butter chicken is a staple of Indian cuisine, and we were intrigued by the restaurant’s new take on the classic dish. Although the portion size was small, it came out steaming hot, and each croquette was filled to the brim with creamy and warm butter chicken, surrounded by a light and flaky fried exterior. It came with an amazing creamy garlic dipping sauce that accentuated the sweet flavor of the chicken. Next, we decided to continue on the fried train and sample the fried shrimp. The actual shrimp had good zest, especially when splashed with the accompanying lemon, but the fried crust outside was so overbearing that it was much better to just take off the entire fried outside and eat the shrimp plain. A tad disappointed after the shrimp, we were looking forward to our next starter, although a little hesitant as we decided to experiment a bit and order the green pea hummus. I will say that I am a very big dip girl, but I usually stick to the classics like chickpea hummus, babaganoush, and guacamole. However, Bar Goa’s hummus was served cold, which made it very refreshing, and its smooth, savory nature made it a perfect spread for the delicious Poi bread and exactly what a hungry, carb-loving girl like myself needed at that exact moment.

Mains

We felt excited to move onto the main courses, as the starters only whetted our palette and we were ready and hungry to sample more of Bar Goa’s menu. For our resident vegetarian at the table, we ordered the mushroom fried rice, which turned out to be everyone’s favorite dish. The mix of the grilled portobello mushrooms with the slightly crispy fried rice and generous topping of Madras curry aioli was so good that we ended up ordering 3 of these dishes total over the course of the night. From there, I advocated for the Goan Chicken Curry, since my mom’s version at home is one of my favorite meals. We were happy to discover that this was the biggest portion of the night, but there was so much sauce that one really needed to dig deep into the bowl to unearth the chicken below. However, once the chicken was eaten, the pao bread (similar to naan) it came with was perfect for soaking up the leftover sauce. Finally, to end the night, my friend really wanted the grilled paneer since it is the most popular dish in her hometown and amongst her family friends. Of course, she did not receive any complaints from the table, and we happily ordered the dish (also vegetarian-friendly) to split amongst the four of us. The paneer was grilled and lightly charred to perfection, and then coated with a subtle tandoori spice that was a good change from the mostly-mild flavors of the other options. In addition, this was the only dish from the night that came with basmati rice instead of bread, and the insanely large portion of rice was great with the rest of the sauce but also for scooping onto my plate straight from its bowl.

Overall, the food at Bar Goa, although expensive, was definitely worth the price and is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I could tell that the chef prepared every dish with care and focus, and the rich authenticity of the flavors made for a fantastic meal. If you are looking for traditional Indian food, this might not be the place for you, but the food is still amazing, and there is something fun and exciting about going with a group of friends and just completely committing to trying and sharing a bunch of menu items—and there were even more we wanted to try!! The music, colorful lights, and enthusiastic waitstaff enriched the experience and fostered an ideal ambiance, and the different flavors and ingredients resulted in taste combinations unlike anything else I have ever tasted.

ReviewsMelanie WangMay 30, 2022ReviewComment